Segment shrinks to a third of what it once was, as new models fail to spark sales revival

Sales in the US Large segment fell by 18.9% to 317,289 in 2018, a third of the 2006 peak of over 1,000,000 cars, and their lowest level in over 30 years. Arguably, this segment is pummeled by a perfect storm of factors buffeting the market: (1) move from traditional sedans to crossovers (2) move from mainstream manufacturers to luxury ones [Read more…]

New Toyota Avalon sees sales rise only slowly while Dodge Charger remains firmly in the lead of a declining segmentSales in the US Large segment fell by 12.0% to 170,762 in the first half of 2018, continuing on from the 11.5% decline registered in 2017. With the Toyota Avalon being the only meaningful arrival 2018 looks to be another tough year for the segment, leading more and more carmakers to consider abandoning it altogether for the far-more-popular [Read more…]

Segment continues its steady decline despite sales growth from new Buick and Kia modelsSales in the Large segment fell by 12.5% to 91,878 in the first quarter of 2018, continuing on from the 11.5% decline registered in 2017. With the Toyota Avalon set to be the only meaningful arrival this year the segment is in for another tough year. In fact, with many of the models currently on sale unlikely to be replaced, and no new entrants on [Read more…]

Segment continues its steady decline with only three models gaining sales in 2017Sales in the US large segment fell by 1.8% to 100,989 in the fourth quarter of 2017, the least bad performance of the segment in 2017. Overall, sales in the segment fell by 11.5% last year to 392,129, the first time the segment has dipped below the 400,000 mark since our data begins in 1985! This steady but relentless decline looks likely [Read more…]

Decline in the large segment slows as segment leaders enjoy a good Q3Sales in the large car segment in the US fell by 6% in the third quarter, to a total of 291,456 units so far this year. The segments performance in the third quarter was not as bad as in the first two quarters of the year, when sales fell by 18%, and in fact was the second-best (least bad?) performance from among the mainstream segments, just behind the 2% sales fall of the compact segment. However, the prospects for the segment are still grim, among rumors circulating that Ford may abandon the market altogether and not replace the Taurus. [Read more…]

Collapse of the Large segment continues, as fewer cars were sold in the first half of ’17 than in the first two months of ’06Sales in the Large car segment fell by 17.8% in the second quarter of the year, meaning YTD sales are still below 200,000 units – this is a huge tumbledown for a segment that used to sell more than that in two months a decade ago. With only two new model entering the market in 2017 (Buick LaCrosse and Kia Cadenza), no other new cars on the immediate horizon, and suggestions that Ford may abandon the market altogether and not replace the Taurus, the signs are that the segment will continue its tumble down the rankings. [Read more…]

The Large Car segment fell by almost as much as the Midsized segment in the first quarter of 2017: down 18.4% to 104,985 sales. The segment that has already completely disappeared in Europe about 10 years ago is in danger of extinction in the US too, as there are few plans for new models anytime soon (just the new generation of the slow-selling Azera), so the double digit declines are likely to continue through the rest of this year. There basically are two tiers in this segment: the still relatively fresh models (Impala, Maxima, LaCrosse, Cadenza) and the decade-old models that have seen their life cycles extended for yet another few years (Charger, 300, Taurus) or which will be axed soon (SS, Caprice). The one stuck in the middle is the Avalon at 5 years old. Of the 11 nameplates in this segment, 7 showed double digit declines, only three showed single digit declines and a single model improved (Chevy SS), and that’s probably because dealers are dumping off their last remaining stock before the model is killed off. [Read more…]

Sales in the Large segment fell by 6.4 percent in 2016, which puts it in the middle of the pack as far as mainstream segments are concerned – better than the Minicarand Mid-sizedsegments, but worse than the Subcompact, Compactand Minivan segments. With 443,317 sales, it remains the second smallest mainstream segment after the Minicar segment, though the Subcompact and Minivan segments remain within reach of around 100,000 units. However, with little new metal on the horizon it remains unlikely that sales in the segment will rise anytime soon, as models such as Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 and Ford Taurus are nearing their “sell by” date with no replacements due anytime soon. [Read more…]

The drop in sales of large sedans in the US accelerated to -13% in Q3 of 2016, pulling the segment into the red year-to-date with a 3% loss. That means the large car segment is heading in the same direction as the mid-sized segment, but oppositely of the subcompact and compact segments, which are starting to recover from their losses earlier in the year. Only three out of the ten models in this segment increased their volume on last year and did so with double digit growth, while the other seven all showed double digit losses. The segment leader Chevrolet Impala drops to third place in Q3 and is under serious threat of losing its top spot by the end of the year as Chevrolet is cutting down on fleet sales and has ended production of the rental-only previous generation Impala “Limited” in May. [Read more…]

Sales in the Large segment fell by 9 percent in the second quarter of 2016, compared to Q2 2015, but sales in the segment are still up 2 percent over the first half year, making Large cars one of only two mainstream segments to have grown over the period. This impressive performance can really be attributed to the success of the new Nissan Maxima, as well as the increasing popularity of aging Chrysler 300. [Read more…]